Fair Play

Fair Play Wine Country

There are currently about 10 Fair Play wineries. Local vineyards are planted mainly with Zinfandel, but Syrah and Barbera are gaining in popularity. Brian Fitzpatrick is the president of the Fair Play Winery Association, which represents Fair Play Wineries.

The climate of Fair Play Wine Country is a warm Region III on the UC Davis Heat Summation Scale. But this is a bit misleading because nights cool considerably. Because of the region’s elevation and cool nights, wines tend to have high acidity. Fair Play Wineries are in a continuous struggle for balance in their wine.

The terrain of Fair Play Wine Country consists of hillside slopes and volcanic mountain soils. At such a high elevation, nights are quite cold. The loamy soil is moderately fertile, but is still a stressful environment for vineyards. Fair Play Wineries take full advantage of their vineyards’ conditions.

Fair Play is the newest AVA in the region. Brian Fitzpatrick was instrumental in gaining official AVA recognition for the wine region from the Federal Government. The history of vineyard development began here during the 1870s, and Horace Bigelow established the first of the Fair Play Wineries in 1887.